Major Retailer Aims to Stock 100 Vegan Wines in 2018

Co-op is taking steps to veganize the wine industry by working with producers directly to find animal-friendly alternatives to non-vegan fining agents.

United Kingdom-based grocery chain Co-op plans to add 100 vegan wines to its shelves by the end of 2018. The company has been working with wine producers worldwide to help them find vegan replacements for animal-derived fining agents such as isinglass (fish bladders), albumen (egg whites), and casein. “We are anticipating vegan wines to pick up momentum throughout 2018,” Co-op wines trading manager Simon Cairns said, “so our range will be expanding throughout the year, and we will continue to challenge suppliers to make wines vegan where they can without affecting the attributes of the liquid.” Co-op—which has more than 4,200 locations across the UK—will add its first eight vegan wines to shelves next month. The chain joins a growing list of retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Ocada that have debuted plant-based products in recent months to cater to a growing number of vegan consumers in the UK.